Roz and Lydia, her younger sister, have a heart-to-heart.
~ A/N: Feel free to read the previous chapters if you haven’t already, you can find them here.
Word Count: 2.8k
Warning: arguing, swearing, violence, mentions of sex
The words flew out of Roz’s mouth in a flurry of English and Spanish. What she was saying wasn’t important because Lydia knew she was livid and that’s all that mattered.
“Jesus Christ!” Lydia clutched the bedsheets to her chest as her so-called boyfriend ran around the room evading Roz’s attacks.
Lydia screamed while her sister threw any and everything at the man who invaded their space.
A mug flew past Corey’s head and shattered against the wall.
“You’re fucking crazy!” He crouched to the ground to grab his clothes.
“I’ll show you crazy!” Roz snatched his Timberlands from the foot of the bed and tossed them out a nearby window.
“Hey, bitch!”
As he lunged toward Roz, Lydia grabbed him the arm and yanked him back.
Roz grabbed a pair of scissors off the dresser “You really wanna try me?”
The man stared at Roz in a state of bewilderment and fear. Lydia’s grip remained on his arm as she cried and pleaded for them to stop fighting.
“Now get the fuck outta my house!” Roz held her grip on the scissors while she stared him down.
He yanked his arm free from Lydia then slowly walked past Roz.
When he made it safely past her, he ran for the door. Lydia brought her hands to her face then yelled at the top of her lungs “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
“What’s wrong with me?! Lydia, what’s wrong with you?” Roz raised her hands “What the fuck were you doing with him? Y’know what he’s into, why would you –”
“We’re in love!”
Roz laughed “I don’t – in love?! You’re 17! You haven’t even graduated yet.”
“Mom and dad were married in high school.”
“That’s different!”
“How?”
Lydia scoffed “You sound just like them.”
Roz lowered the scissors to her side, “This is why they kicked you out isn’t it?”
A low chuckle escaped from her lips as she wiped her forehead.
“It’s not like we’re breaking the law.”
Roz studied her little sister with wide eyes.
“The age of consent is seventeen.”
“Jesus,” Roz murmured.
She looked at her sister who still sat in bed, clutching the sheets to her chest. Her brown hair draped over her small shoulders.
“Y’know what it’s like to be seventeen and in love, right?”
Roz focused her attention back to the present, “I know what it’s like to be young.”
She set the scissors on the dresser “You’re naive,” she disappeared down the hall and shouted “you’ll believe almost anything,” then entered the room with a power drill.
She stood by the door then knelt down to the ground. The tip of her power drill met one of the screws holding the hinge in place.
Lydia craned her neck at Roz’s handiwork, “What are you doing?”
Roz pocketed the screw “I’m taking your door down.” She answered without looking up.
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me.”
“You don’t even own the palace.”
“My house, my rules.”
“It’s an apartment.”
“With my name on the lease!”
Roz propped the door against its former frame, “Take a shower and get dressed.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going out and I don’t trust you by yourself right now.”
Lydia sat up on her forearms “Are you serious?”
“Does it look like I’m joking?”
In the few seconds of silence, Lydia saw the small lines that started to settle around her sister’s mouth. She wondered if they were laugh lines.
“C’mon, Zee.”
Roz shook her head “I don’t wanna hear it.”
She walked toward Lydia and opened her hand. Lydia glanced at her open palm then rolled her eyes. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and placed it in Roz’s hand.
“It’s just sex.”
Roz flicked her eyes up at the younger version of herself “There’s more to it than that. You’d know if you pulled your head out of your ass.”
She turned on her heels leaving Lydia to ponder the thought.
“You’ve got ten minutes to get ready.”
She stopped by the dresser and opened the top drawer. For a moment, she rummaged through it then fished out another phone.
Lydia stared at her sister with fire in her eyes.
Roz didn’t bother looking at her. Instead she closed the drawer then held Lydia’s second phone in the air as she walked out of the room “10 minutes!”
Lydia’s cheeks burned crimson. Tears swelled in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away for fear of bring seen as weak.
~~~~~~
Lydia seemed to escape most of the tension that night. At dinner with Roz’s friends she sat at a nearby table. Roz was feeling gracious enough when she’d asked to sit elsewhere. Without her phone, Lydia felt naked. She toyed with most of her meal and spent the evening people watching. When she got bored, again, she’d asked the waiter for a pen then started to draw on a napkin. The napkin which she now fiddled with in the pocket of her jacket as she walked home with her sister.
She prayed for some sort of action in the subway car but her prayers were dissolved when she found it nearly empty.
Roz sat down then Lydia moved over an inch or two to sit nearby.
The napkin was now a crumpled ball of blotted ink in her pocket. The silence slowly became loud yet she preferred it over a lecture.
“I was 16 when it happened,” Roz spoke while looking straight ahead.
Lydia glanced over at her.
“It was actually on my birthday. Mom and dad had this get together, of course, but I told them I was gonna go to Evie’s after.”
She glanced down at her hands. Lydia turned slowly toward her “Like the Evelyn we just had dinner with?”
Roz nodded “Yeah, we used to be joined at the hip.”
“What happened? I heard her say ya’ll haven’t seen each other in months.”
Roz shrugged “Life, I guess. Anyway, they weren’t buying it so Evie stepped in and sold ‘em. So after my birthday party, I went to her place then we met James and one of his buddies at the movies. We hung out, had a few laughs, and went back to Evie’s. Her parents weren’t home and she was an only child so it was just us. I remember thinking this is it. After this, we’ll be that couple that walks to class together. Hold hands. Always says corny shit to each other with that goofy ass smile.”
Lydia felt the corners of her mouth turn upward then tried to stop it.
“I remember the next time I saw him in the hall. We were passing each other and he didn’t even look at me. But I figured, it’s a new semester so maybe he’s got a lot going on. Ironically, we had a class together so I worked up the nerve to talk to him. He didn’t even remember my name and when I told him about that day, he called me someone else.”
Lydia’s fingers hovered around the crumpled napkin in her pocket.
Roz readjusted herself in her seat, “I’m not telling you what to do, just don’t do somethin’ you’re gonna regret.”
The subway car slowed to a stop.
“Two lectures in one day?”
“I guess I can’t help it,” Roz stood to her feet and Lydia followed slowly behind as she walked home.
~~~~~~
Roz spent the last thirty minutes tossing and turning. She’d peered through the hall a few times since she removed her door too – in case Lydia tried to pull a fast one. The sounds of the night made her think about her last date with Jim and his invitation to Idaho … Idaho. She groaned at the memory. After a moment, she reached for her phone and texted him. As soon as she hit send she buried her face into her pillow.
~~~~~~~
The following morning Roz accompanied Lydia to school. This was part of her punishment Lydia hated the most.
“I’ve got a meeting that’ll run over once you get out of school but I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Y’know I’m not five, right?”
Lydia sheepishly scanned the courtyard to make sure none of her friends were in sight.
“You don’t have to drop me off and pick me up, and –”
“And it’s not up for discussion,” Roz raised her brows “Ms. Garcia, next door, is gonna call me if you’re not home by 2:30 so no funny business.”
“Yes, mom.” Lydia rolled her eyes.
“I’ll see you at home, I love you.”
She pulled Lydia in for a quick embrace then walked off, finally leaving Lydia on her own.
~~~~~~
She’d played it in her head over and over again. If it went well, she’d be home by 3 pm and blame it on some subway mishap or traffic.
She’d practically ran the whole way and as she approached his place she slowed down to catch her breath. Her hand rested on the cold brick of the building while she scanned the apartment buzzer for his name.
Suddenly the door to the complex opened and there he was. Corey looked down at Lydia with a smirk on his face.
“Well look who it is, Lydia in the flesh.”
He skipped down to the landing of the stairs “I thought I wasn’t gonna hear from you again.”
“My sister took my phone so I couldn’t text you.”
He smacked his teeth “She’s fucking crazy.”
Lydia slid her hands into her pockets “I wouldn’t say that but she was outta line.”
He leaned against the post near the stairs and let out a low chuckle.
“Anyway, I’ve got some time so I figured we could hang out. Maybe go to the pier?”
“Or pick up where we left off?”
She studied the smug smirk on his face and the raised brow, ”No.”
His smile slowly faded.
“I’m not in the mood.”
His eyes traveled to a near passerby “Alright …”
After another moment of silence, Lydia raised her brows “So? Do you wanna hang out or not?”
“Actually, I gotta go.” He leaned off the post “Lemme know when you’re off house arrest.” Without another word, he turned his back to her and walked down the sidewalk.
She stood on the pavement, still and unmoving as several people walked past her. It wasn’t until she heard a bird caw that she started to move again.
~~~~~~
The sounds that surrounded her were white noise at this point. It was like being on autopilot. Or like when the car is running on E but you depend on that morsel to get you to your final destination. When she approached Roz’s door, Ms. Garcia was standing outside.
“It’s 2:40, I was starting to get worried.”
Lydia barely looked at the woman as she headed for the door.
“I’m sorry. There was some delay at the station.” She put the key into the door and opened it without looking at her “You can go back inside now.”
“Okay,” she studied the blank look on her face “I’m right here if you need anything.”
Lydia glacned at her “I’m alright,” then flashed her a half-hearted grin before crossing the threshold.
The faint smile dimmed once she closed the door. She trudged to her room and her bag collapsed to the floor with a thud.
Her fingers yanked at the drawer and grabbed whatever clothes she could find to take a shower. She clutched them in her hand and shut the drawer with the other. Her fingers remained on the knob and after a moment, she yanked it open then shut it again. Only a second went by until she did it again with more force and anger and breath and why was she panting? Why was her throat tight? Why could she scream and destroy everything in sight?
Her clothes had fallen to the floor and she shut the drawer with a final THWAP and a sharp crack filled the room. The drawer sat in its place half-cocked with its contents in disarray as Lydia sank to the floor struggling to catch her breath and quiet her sobs.
~~~~~~
When Roz walked into her apartment, she caught the light emanating from Lydia’s room.
She walked in quietly, careful to not disturb her which proved pointless as Lydia peeped up at her from her notebook.
“Hey.” A pencil lazily dangled between her fingers as she looked up at Roz.
“Hey,” she stepped further into Lydia’s room “what are you working on?”
“Just some homework assignment.”
Roz nodded her head “I’ll leave you to it.”
Before she left, she popped her head back into Lydia’s room “I brought sandwiches from 22nd …”
The corners of Lydia’s mouth turned upward “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
She set her pencil down and shut her notebook, as she followed Roz into the kitchen. Her closed notebook sat in the dark, her homework assignment unfinished with the half-written sentence reading: I feel like an 8 year old again with a diary. I just can’t say any of this out loud. I guess I thought it was love but
~~~~~~
Roz and Lydia sat on the couch, stuffed to the brim and watching a movie on television. The colors of the TV became a swirl to Lydia as she traveled into the depths of her mind again.
“Boys are stupid.” She professed in a low voice.
Without looking over at her, Roz added “They can be,” and her hand trailed towards her sister’s and she held onto it.
Lydia felt her eyes sting and restrained incoming tears.
“We should go out tomorrow.”
Lydia chuckled “Oh God,” she brought her hands up to her face “not a shopping spree like in the movies, that’s so corny.”
Roz laughed “What?”
“I don’t need a happiness crusade, or a mani-pedi,” Lydia laughed “and I don’t need a hug or sympathy,” tears fell from her face “and I don’t wanna talk about it, I’m just so angry,” her breath hitched “I’m so upset and I could just” her voice tensed up and she wiped tears from her face.
Roz got up from the couch and walked away then came back with a handful of mugs.
Lydia looked up at her sister through tears “What’s that for?”
“Throw it,” she offered her a mug “c’mon.”
Lydia wiped her face “What?! But the apartment –”
“My name’s on the lease, remember?”
Roz sat the mugs onto the table and held one in her hand “It’s okay to be mad but you gotta get it out.” She pulled her arm back and launched the mug at an empty spot on the wall across the room.
Lydia watched the porcelain shatter against the beige wall.
Roz picked up another mug and offered it to Lydia.
“Are we doin’ this or what?”
A smile broke out across Lydia’s face and a tear traveled from her dimple down to the corner of her lips. The bitter salt brought a smile to her face as her fingertips wrapped around the porcelain.
~~~~~~
The sisters laughed as another mug shattered against the wall. Knocks rapped furiously against the door and a muttered voice yelled “Is everything okay in there?”
Roz and Lydia exchanged a quick glance.
Roz opened the door to a worried Ms. Garcia.
“I heard glass breaking and –”
Roz nodded her head “We’re just bonding, everything’s fine.”
Ms. Garcia raised a brow at Roz’s cheerful smile as she shut the door.
Lydia scanned the pile of broken glass on the floor “I think I’m good now.”
Roz walked into the room with a broom and dustpan “Good, because I only have two mugs left.”
Lydia smiled despite tear stained cheeks.
Roz swept the pile into the dustpan as Lydia held it in place.
“Thanks by the way,” Lydia lifted the dust pan and headed for the trash can “I needed that.”
Roz scanned the floor for any missed spots “That makes two of us.”
She looked at Lydia with a smile as she dumped the glass into the trash.
“I’ll take care of that. Go ahead and finish your homework.”
“Alright,” Lydia set the dustpan by the trash can and went back to her notebook. For fear that her sister would come in to check on her, she committed to the bit and wrote:
I guess we all make mistakes but I wouldn’t call them that because you learn something, you just learned it the hard way. I never really cared for school but we’re in it every day. Learning something, failing, passing, barely getting by, asking for help. I’m just glad I’m not in it alone.
Roz placed the bag in the dumpster then began the walk back to her apartment. When she stepped into the building, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fished for it and read a text from Jim: Hey, I’d love to meet up. What time were you thinking?
Inside Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s 75th Wedding Anniversary
Inside Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s 75th Wedding Anniversary
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife former First Lady Rosalynn Carter sit together during a reception to celebrate their 75th anniversary Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga.. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool)
This piece originally appeared in OLD GOATS, the author’s Substack.
Jimmy Carter, almost 97, had risen from the red clay of remote Southwest Georgia to become President of the…
